Just so you know, it’s not meant to be comprehensive, just a bit of an idea-sparker for your weekend. It will post every Thursday. Shall we?

Photo courtesy of the Ocala Star-Banner

Sunday: Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown

Most people who live in Washington, D.C., aren’t regular visitors to the Lincoln Memorial. Nor are there many New York City residents (non-suicidal residents, that is) to be found on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.

That’s just the way it is – unless they’re entertaining out-of-town guests, people don’t tend to visit tourist attractions in the places where they live. That all changes, however, for Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown. During the annual event, which takes place this year on March 3, 27 New Hanover County attractions, museums and tours are free to county residents. In fact, 22 of the 27 offerings are free to everyone regardless of where they live.

A Sunday stroll through Airlie Gardens would normally set you back $16 for a family of four, but not this Sunday. Likewise, the Bellamy Mansion, Burgwin-Wright House, Cameron Art Museum and Cape Fear Museum of History & Science, all places that normally charge entry fees, are free as well.

Other no-cost highlights include rounds of mini-golf (one per person) at Jungle Rapids and several tours, including the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington.

If you’re downtown, stop by the Riverfront Visitor Information booth at Water and Market streets from noon-3 p.m. for a “Hometown Tourist” sticker and some special guests, including the Azalea belles and storyteller/musician John Golden.

Two of the area’s more popular attractions, the Battleship North Carolina and the Cape Fear Serpentarium, aren’t participating for some reason, but plenty of other places are. Check the complete list below, or go to www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com.

All weekend: ‘She Loves Me’

That’s pretty much what you’ll get from “She Loves Me,” a charmingly old-fashioned musical being staged by Opera House Theatre Co. at Thalian Hall in downtown Wilmington. It closes on Sunday.

With songs from the team behind “Fiddler on the Roof” and a plot recycled for the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” this 50-year-old show features Dylan Fowler as Georg, a clerk in a perfume shop in love with a mystery woman he’s only corresponded with via letter. Georg’s hated colleague, Amalia (Alyssa Dunaway), has a male pen pal of her own whom she’s never met. I think you know where this is going.

Saturday and Sunday: Whale of a Weekend

as part of an event called Whale of a Weekend, the aquarium will celebrate a new marine mammal exhibit.

Dolphin Discovery allows you to match wits with Holly, a life-like bottlenose dolphin inspired by a real animal living in North Carolina’s coastal waters, while Right Whale Quest! is a virtual journey from North Carolina to the Bay of Fundy (east of Maine) with two North Atlantic right whales, Calvin (pictured) and Delilah.

StarNews file

There will also be hands-on education stations (try on a blubber glove!) as well as opportunities to interact with marine mammal experts from around the state.

Saturday: Cape Fear Beer Festival

In the immortal words of country music legend Tom T. Hall, “I like beer. It makes me a jolly good fellow.” Or, to quote a more contemporary sage, Homer Simpson, “I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.”

In other words, the Cape Fear Beer Festival is March 2 at the Wilmington Convention Center. Upwards of 100 breweries will be offering tasting samples, from the lowly PBR to something called Tank 7 and even Magners Apple (and Peach) Cider.

Sunday: Adult baseball tryouts

The first Major League Baseball game isn’t till March 31, but if you can’t wait till then, the Coastal Men’s Baseball League is having tryouts 2-5 p.m. March 3 at Northwest Park off U.S. 74/76 in Brunswick County. There are divisions for ages 18-30, 31-44 and 45-plus.

This is a pretty competitive league so it would probably help if you’ve picked up a glove, bat or ball sometime in the past 10 years. For details, call 392-5524 or go to www.CoastalMensBaseball.com.

Good to know, Tami. Thanks for the heads-up! The link to the Tourist page on the ILM and beaches site isn’t working, so, um, yeah. It’s all anyone’s guess, I suppose. Here’s what encore has up, for what it’s worth, although it does have the Oakdale info:http://www.encorepub.com/welcome/hometown-tourist/

Jerry, so sorry to just be getting this. I believe all but about 5 of the attractions were free to all, but the link to the event page stopped working so I’m not 100 percent sure what they were. Hope you had a great weekend!

About This Blog

The WAE: Wilmington-area Arts & Entertainment is dedicated to experiencing, discussing and promoting the arts in Southeastern N.C. From theater and all manner of music to visual art, dance, festivals and more, The WAE is populated by people who are immersed in local A&E. If it’s about A&E in Southeastern N.C., then we’re all about it.